Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time data was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
